To the Editor:

This election, I am proud to support Montgomery’s hometown team — David Cheskis for Township Committee and Mark Caliguire for New Jersey General Assembly. Both are long-time residents of Montgomery, have distinguished records of community service, and understand how to protect our exceptional quality of life.

David has been active in Montgomery for almost 20 years. He was the president of the Pike Run Greens and Master Association boards and holds leadership positions in the local Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. David also has years of valuable experience on our land use boards. First as chair of the Zoning Board and now chair of the Planning Board, David has been protecting Montgomery from unwanted and inappropriate development.

Mark has served Montgomery for 14 years as a Township Committee member, mayor, and now a Somerset County Freeholder. He has been a mentor and friend for years and represents Montgomery’s spirit of community involvement. Mark was instrumental with getting our financial house back in order. We are spending below 2005 levels and have cut debt by over $30 million due to the foundation that Mark created for us. He is also a champion of open space and led the effort to preserve Skillman Park, which was at risk of being developed.

Beyond these impressive records, I am thrilled to support David and Mark because both have ardently fought against Trenton’s affordable/COAH housing mandate, which I believe represents the biggest threat to our quality of life. Special interest groups are pushing Montgomery to build thousands of new homes that we don’t need or want.

As chair of the Planning Board, David has already made a big difference by ensuring developers stick to our strict building standards and fighting for as much open space preservation as possible. While mayor and freeholder, Mark has been on the frontlines working with our state leaders to rewrite affordable housing legislation and has proposed sweeping changes to this reckless mandate.

Sadly, Mark’s election opponent doesn’t share the same position. Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker has been AWOL on the topic for years. I met with Zwicker when he first took office to discuss the biggest issues facing Montgomery. Since then, he has proposed no new ideas, no new legislation, and even refused to discuss the issue with me last summer. I guess he doesn’t care about Montgomery or the other suburban towns in his district that are suffering due to Trenton’s housing mandate.

On November 7, we have a clear choice. Let’s support our hometown team, David Cheskis and Mark Caliguire. Both care deeply about our community and have proven records of making Montgomery a better place to live.

Ed Trzaska

Mayor, Montgomery Township